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A small town in Anglona, 35 kilometres from Sassari, in north-west Sardinia, adorned by one of the greatest examples of Romanesque architecture in the world
Tergu is a farming community of less than 600 consisting of a small town and some isolated houses scattered across a fertile basin. An independent municipality since 1980, it used to be a hamlet of the municipality of Castelsardo, from which it is 10 kilometres away. On Monday before Easter, confraternity members and the faithful walk the road linking Tergu and the capital of Anglona in one of the most fascinating rituals of the Holy Week of Castelsardo. The procession of Lunissanti departs at dawn from the Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Castelsardo, passes by Lu Bagnu and finishes at a small rise on the outskirts of town, where the Church of Nostra Signora di Tergu is located. The evening return is illuminated by a long line of torches. The church was built in the second half of the 11th century by the ruling family of the Giudicato of Torres. It was expanded in the following century when it became a Benedictine Abbey (it is sited in the Montecassino documents from 1122 onwards). Along with the monastery, of which only ruins remain, it was the seat of the Cassinese Congregation. From the 12th century onwards, the complex was one of Sardinia’s most prestigious and significant: about ten monasteries were directly dependent on the Abbey of Tergu. The church majestically rises above the surrounding vegetation, set off by its quoins of purplish red trachyte and white limestone decorative elements. The original Romanesque design has been modified during various restorations over its one-thousand-year history with Gothic and Baroque details being added. It is not certain if the town was already in existence. It is likely however that a small settlement of people drawn to the monastery did exist. What is certain is that up to the end of the Medieval Period the fates of the abbey and the town were closely intertwined. The ceremony of re-consecration was likely very lavish. Our Lady is honoured on May 1 and September 8. Up-valley from the church, there is a group of typically rural houses (low, with large courtyards) and others scattered in the countryside. Basket weaving using dried dwarf palm leaves has brought the town fame.
The presence of human settlements in the basin of Tergu since Nuragic Age has been confirmed. In the lands surrounding the town, about fifteen nuraghes, some complex, have been found, including the three-lobed Tudderi and Riu Riu. The most significant site is the megalithic fortress of Monte Elias, occupied into the Roman Age. From the site, the view opens onto the eastern portion of the Gulf of Asinara, located a few minutes away. Roman sites and artefacts have also been found on Mount Rizzu, near the Colbu Nuraghe, where three steles, stone and terracotta urns and funerary equipment have been unearthed at a necropolis (1st century BC-1st century AD)
Tergu
A small town in Anglona, 35 kilometres from Sassari, in north-west Sardinia, adorned by one of the greatest examples of Romanesque architecture in the world
Tergu is a farming community of less than 600 consisting of a small town and some isolated houses scattered across a fertile basin. An independent municipality since 1980, it used to be a hamlet of the municipality of Castelsardo, from which it is 10 kilometres away. On Monday before Easter, confraternity members and the faithful walk the road linking Tergu and the capital of Anglona in one of the most fascinating rituals of the Holy Week of Castelsardo. The procession of Lunissanti departs at dawn from the Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Castelsardo, passes by Lu Bagnu and finishes at a small rise on the outskirts of town, where the Church of Nostra Signora di Tergu is located. The evening return is illuminated by a long line of torches. The church was built in the second half of the 11th century by the ruling family of the Giudicato of Torres. It was expanded in the following century when it became a Benedictine Abbey (it is sited in the Montecassino documents from 1122 onwards). Along with the monastery, of which only ruins remain, it was the seat of the Cassinese Congregation. From the 12th century onwards, the complex was one of Sardinia’s most prestigious and significant: about ten monasteries were directly dependent on the Abbey of Tergu. The church majestically rises above the surrounding vegetation, set off by its quoins of purplish red trachyte and white limestone decorative elements. The original Romanesque design has been modified during various restorations over its one-thousand-year history with Gothic and Baroque details being added. It is not certain if the town was already in existence. It is likely however that a small settlement of people drawn to the monastery did exist. What is certain is that up to the end of the Medieval Period the fates of the abbey and the town were closely intertwined. The ceremony of re-consecration was likely very lavish. Our Lady is honoured on May 1 and September 8. Up-valley from the church, there is a group of typically rural houses (low, with large courtyards) and others scattered in the countryside. Basket weaving using dried dwarf palm leaves has brought the town fame.
The presence of human settlements in the basin of Tergu since Nuragic Age has been confirmed. In the lands surrounding the town, about fifteen nuraghes, some complex, have been found, including the three-lobed Tudderi and Riu Riu. The most significant site is the megalithic fortress of Monte Elias, occupied into the Roman Age. From the site, the view opens onto the eastern portion of the Gulf of Asinara, located a few minutes away. Roman sites and artefacts have also been found on Mount Rizzu, near the Colbu Nuraghe, where three steles, stone and terracotta urns and funerary equipment have been unearthed at a necropolis (1st century BC-1st century AD)
It may have been the legendary Tibula of Roman times, but by the Middle Ages it was already an impenetrable centuries-old fortress protected by thick walls and 17 towers, until the advent of modern weaponry. The original nucleus of Castelsardo grew up around the castle of the Dorias, which tradition dates to 1102, although it was probably constructed in the late XIII century. Today it is the seat of the lovely Museo dell’Intreccio Mediterraneo (or Museum of the Crossroads of the Mediterranean), one of the most visited museums in all of Sardinia. In the early XVI century the castle was renamed Castillo Aragonés and became the seat of the bishopric until the Cathedral of Sant’Antonio Abate was built in 1586. This amazing building has a bell tower perched over the sea, is graced with a gleaming ceramic dome and houses crypts in the basement, which in turn are home to the Maestro di Castelsardo museum. During the reign of the Savoy dynasty, the town was given the name it has today. It belongs to the Most Beautiful Towns of Italy Association and its noble fortifications – the bastions and steep stairs – remain intact. The city tour includes not-to-be-missed visits of its religious and historical buildings, like the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, the Benedictine monastery, the bishopric, palazzo La Loggia, which since 1111 has served as City Hall, and the Palazzo Eleonora d’Arborea.
The town’s most characteristic events take place during Holy Week, when religious rites with a Spanish flair involve just about everyone. Lunissanti, on the Monday after Palm Sunday, is heartfelt and picturesque, especially at dawn when a long procession heads towards the Basilica of Nostra Signora di Tergu. After sundown, the town is illuminated by torches and sacred chanting fills the air. The Prucissioni that take place on Holy Thursday and the Lu Lcravamentu on Friday are also not to be missed. The town celebrates its patron saint, St. Anthony, on 17 January with great bonfires. But there is more to this town than cultural tradition, there are archaeological sites and natural monuments to be visited as well: the nuraghe Paddaju, the pre-Nuragic megalithic walls at Monte Ossoni and, just four kilometres from town, the domus de Janas, raised bull horn decorations and the roccia dell’Elefante. This stretch of shoreline is made predominantly of high red bluffs, but there are some beaches too, including Marina di Castelsardo, at the entrance to town, and Lu Bagnu beach, some two and a half kilometres away and protected by cliffs topped with green. The sandy shore boasts crystal clear water dotted with flat rocks. Windsurf and sailing enthusiasts should not miss punta La Capra, a natural pool set between the sea and the shore. Local restaurants feature fresh catch: lobster, crayfish, crab, sea urchin and shellfish.
284 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Castelsardo
It may have been the legendary Tibula of Roman times, but by the Middle Ages it was already an impenetrable centuries-old fortress protected by thick walls and 17 towers, until the advent of modern weaponry. The original nucleus of Castelsardo grew up around the castle of the Dorias, which tradition dates to 1102, although it was probably constructed in the late XIII century. Today it is the seat of the lovely Museo dell’Intreccio Mediterraneo (or Museum of the Crossroads of the Mediterranean), one of the most visited museums in all of Sardinia. In the early XVI century the castle was renamed Castillo Aragonés and became the seat of the bishopric until the Cathedral of Sant’Antonio Abate was built in 1586. This amazing building has a bell tower perched over the sea, is graced with a gleaming ceramic dome and houses crypts in the basement, which in turn are home to the Maestro di Castelsardo museum. During the reign of the Savoy dynasty, the town was given the name it has today. It belongs to the Most Beautiful Towns of Italy Association and its noble fortifications – the bastions and steep stairs – remain intact. The city tour includes not-to-be-missed visits of its religious and historical buildings, like the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, the Benedictine monastery, the bishopric, palazzo La Loggia, which since 1111 has served as City Hall, and the Palazzo Eleonora d’Arborea.
The town’s most characteristic events take place during Holy Week, when religious rites with a Spanish flair involve just about everyone. Lunissanti, on the Monday after Palm Sunday, is heartfelt and picturesque, especially at dawn when a long procession heads towards the Basilica of Nostra Signora di Tergu. After sundown, the town is illuminated by torches and sacred chanting fills the air. The Prucissioni that take place on Holy Thursday and the Lu Lcravamentu on Friday are also not to be missed. The town celebrates its patron saint, St. Anthony, on 17 January with great bonfires. But there is more to this town than cultural tradition, there are archaeological sites and natural monuments to be visited as well: the nuraghe Paddaju, the pre-Nuragic megalithic walls at Monte Ossoni and, just four kilometres from town, the domus de Janas, raised bull horn decorations and the roccia dell’Elefante. This stretch of shoreline is made predominantly of high red bluffs, but there are some beaches too, including Marina di Castelsardo, at the entrance to town, and Lu Bagnu beach, some two and a half kilometres away and protected by cliffs topped with green. The sandy shore boasts crystal clear water dotted with flat rocks. Windsurf and sailing enthusiasts should not miss punta La Capra, a natural pool set between the sea and the shore. Local restaurants feature fresh catch: lobster, crayfish, crab, sea urchin and shellfish.
The “town in the rock” at the centre of Anglona in north-western Sardinia is 15 mins from Castelsardo and stands out for its nature, culture, archaeology and good food
Some of its oldest houses were hewn into the limestone of a plain at 350 m above sea level, nestled in gently rolling hills and waters of the Asinara Gulf. Sedini has 1,300 inhabitants and is in the Anglona region, home to remarkable nature, ageless cultural traditions and prehistoric remains, like the domu della Rocca, the “cathedral of the domus de Janas.” It is one of Sardinia’s most unusual pre-Nuragic landmarks and is right on the town’s main street! It’s an enormous rock at the edge of the Baldana valley that is home to an underground burial site dating to the IV-III millennium BC. The site was used for the extraordinarily long time of 5,000 years, from the Neolithic Age to the XIX century. Its transformation over the course of time, especially the Middle Ages, made it an important part of the town: it was used to make bricks, it was a prison, animals were kept there, shops opened and dwellings inhabited. It is now home to the Anglona Museum of Ethnographic Traditions, which tells the history of rural life in the area and of the archaeology, starting with the Neolithic tomb, the oldest part of the Rocca: six cells of varying shapes and sizes, two of which connected in a single room. The plains above town are dotted with caves that served as dwellings in pre-historic times: Li Conchi, Li Caadaggi and La Pilchina. The Fossa de la Loriga, inside the Lu Padru hill, is also fascinating, home to stalactites and stalagmites in rooms with ceilings as high as ten metres. Nearby is the white Lu Padru nuraghe, white because it was made of limestone blocks. The inner chamber has been preserved intact.
The old centre of town is graced with steep stairs and narrow passageways, unique in its genre for the scenic effect created by the houses that seem to cling to the rock face, even hewn into it at times. The meat, cheese, honey and wine here are of remarkable quality, and the baked goods (ozzaddini, origlietti, frijoli and cozzuli di pilhtiddhu) are an important part of the cuisine. The lovely church of Sant’Andrea – the patron saint celebrated in November – dates to 1517 and was restored at various times in the 1800s and the 1900s. It is home to a copy of Raphael’s Transfiguration by Andrea Lusso (1597). The interior varies between late Gothic and Renaissance.
The town is blessed with breathtaking views all around, especially over the Silanis River valley, rich with streams, cliffs, mills and medieval churches, including the ruins of San Nicola di Silanis. This church, built over what was once a Benedictine monastery, can be found in the village (abandoned) of Speluncas, built of limestone blocks in 1122 at the behest of the Zori family, aristocrats who moved in the higher circles of the Torres guidicato. The church is remarkable for the purity and perfection of its architecture. Another monument not to be missed is the isolated little church of San Pancrazio di Nursi, the only building that remains of a XII century monastery. The walls are made of alternating limestone and lava rock.
11 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Sedini
The “town in the rock” at the centre of Anglona in north-western Sardinia is 15 mins from Castelsardo and stands out for its nature, culture, archaeology and good food
Some of its oldest houses were hewn into the limestone of a plain at 350 m above sea level, nestled in gently rolling hills and waters of the Asinara Gulf. Sedini has 1,300 inhabitants and is in the Anglona region, home to remarkable nature, ageless cultural traditions and prehistoric remains, like the domu della Rocca, the “cathedral of the domus de Janas.” It is one of Sardinia’s most unusual pre-Nuragic landmarks and is right on the town’s main street! It’s an enormous rock at the edge of the Baldana valley that is home to an underground burial site dating to the IV-III millennium BC. The site was used for the extraordinarily long time of 5,000 years, from the Neolithic Age to the XIX century. Its transformation over the course of time, especially the Middle Ages, made it an important part of the town: it was used to make bricks, it was a prison, animals were kept there, shops opened and dwellings inhabited. It is now home to the Anglona Museum of Ethnographic Traditions, which tells the history of rural life in the area and of the archaeology, starting with the Neolithic tomb, the oldest part of the Rocca: six cells of varying shapes and sizes, two of which connected in a single room. The plains above town are dotted with caves that served as dwellings in pre-historic times: Li Conchi, Li Caadaggi and La Pilchina. The Fossa de la Loriga, inside the Lu Padru hill, is also fascinating, home to stalactites and stalagmites in rooms with ceilings as high as ten metres. Nearby is the white Lu Padru nuraghe, white because it was made of limestone blocks. The inner chamber has been preserved intact.
The old centre of town is graced with steep stairs and narrow passageways, unique in its genre for the scenic effect created by the houses that seem to cling to the rock face, even hewn into it at times. The meat, cheese, honey and wine here are of remarkable quality, and the baked goods (ozzaddini, origlietti, frijoli and cozzuli di pilhtiddhu) are an important part of the cuisine. The lovely church of Sant’Andrea – the patron saint celebrated in November – dates to 1517 and was restored at various times in the 1800s and the 1900s. It is home to a copy of Raphael’s Transfiguration by Andrea Lusso (1597). The interior varies between late Gothic and Renaissance.
The town is blessed with breathtaking views all around, especially over the Silanis River valley, rich with streams, cliffs, mills and medieval churches, including the ruins of San Nicola di Silanis. This church, built over what was once a Benedictine monastery, can be found in the village (abandoned) of Speluncas, built of limestone blocks in 1122 at the behest of the Zori family, aristocrats who moved in the higher circles of the Torres guidicato. The church is remarkable for the purity and perfection of its architecture. Another monument not to be missed is the isolated little church of San Pancrazio di Nursi, the only building that remains of a XII century monastery. The walls are made of alternating limestone and lava rock.
Tempio pausania
30 Via OlbiaIsibhede sase Cala li Cossi
beach
The power and fascination of extraordinary environmental and historical evolution, the wild, unspoilt nature of one of the major Sardinian islands will amaze you in every way. It is located on the northwestern tip of Sardinia.
Bated breath before the force of nature, while contemplating the windswept landscapes covered by Mediterranean scrub, and the mysterious charm heightened by a century of isolation, which has preserved its true nature: first a 'quarantine' station, then a prisoner of war camp during the First World War and lastly a maximum-security prison, until the establishment of the park. These are the sensations provoked by the rugged and sun-drenched paths on the island of Asinara. Its rich nature has been a part of the national park of the same name since 1997 and is separated from the beach of Pelosa and the Isola Piana island by the Passaggio dei Fornelli, a deep blue navigable canal. Guaranteeing the integrity of the ecosystem, there are also 'legendary' settlements, like the industrious community that was forced to abandon the island in 1885 and founded the village of Stintino.
You will be able to enjoy the trails marked out inside over five thousand hectares of protected area, by mountain bike, on horseback, in an off-road vehicle or by tourist train. The Asinara donkey is its identifying symbol. You will meet it almost everywhere during your trip, along with mouflons, wild boars, horses and birds, including the Audouin's gull, the European shag, the peregrine falcon and the magpie. High promontories, beaches of soft sand and crystal clear water, among which several coves, including Cala dei Ponzesi, Cala Sabina and Cala Sant'Andrea, protect the lush flora: 678 species, of which 29 are native ones.
The sea of Asinara is a real treasure chest. In 2002, the marine protected area was established to protect biodiversity and the micro and macro underwater environments. A paradise in which you can observe the seabeds made up of sinuous recesses, gullies and clefts, in which there are also shipwrecks, one of which is opposite the pier of Cala Reale. To the west, the coast plunges dramatically with sea stacks covered in seaweed and brightly coloured wildlife, while to the east it slopes gently, with sand and rocks. The coastline has been colonized by rare species, like Red algae and the ribbed Mediterranean limpet, while a little further out you might have surprising encounters with dolphins.
57 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Asinara National Park
The power and fascination of extraordinary environmental and historical evolution, the wild, unspoilt nature of one of the major Sardinian islands will amaze you in every way. It is located on the northwestern tip of Sardinia.
Bated breath before the force of nature, while contemplating the windswept landscapes covered by Mediterranean scrub, and the mysterious charm heightened by a century of isolation, which has preserved its true nature: first a 'quarantine' station, then a prisoner of war camp during the First World War and lastly a maximum-security prison, until the establishment of the park. These are the sensations provoked by the rugged and sun-drenched paths on the island of Asinara. Its rich nature has been a part of the national park of the same name since 1997 and is separated from the beach of Pelosa and the Isola Piana island by the Passaggio dei Fornelli, a deep blue navigable canal. Guaranteeing the integrity of the ecosystem, there are also 'legendary' settlements, like the industrious community that was forced to abandon the island in 1885 and founded the village of Stintino.
You will be able to enjoy the trails marked out inside over five thousand hectares of protected area, by mountain bike, on horseback, in an off-road vehicle or by tourist train. The Asinara donkey is its identifying symbol. You will meet it almost everywhere during your trip, along with mouflons, wild boars, horses and birds, including the Audouin's gull, the European shag, the peregrine falcon and the magpie. High promontories, beaches of soft sand and crystal clear water, among which several coves, including Cala dei Ponzesi, Cala Sabina and Cala Sant'Andrea, protect the lush flora: 678 species, of which 29 are native ones.
The sea of Asinara is a real treasure chest. In 2002, the marine protected area was established to protect biodiversity and the micro and macro underwater environments. A paradise in which you can observe the seabeds made up of sinuous recesses, gullies and clefts, in which there are also shipwrecks, one of which is opposite the pier of Cala Reale. To the west, the coast plunges dramatically with sea stacks covered in seaweed and brightly coloured wildlife, while to the east it slopes gently, with sand and rocks. The coastline has been colonized by rare species, like Red algae and the ribbed Mediterranean limpet, while a little further out you might have surprising encounters with dolphins.
Arcipelago Di La Maddalena National Park
7 Via Giulio CesareSanta Teresa Gallura
Badesi Mare
Stintino
Spiaggia Bérchida
BerchidaFood Scene
Mamoiada
The story of a people told on the walls: in the heart of the Supramonte area, a trekking paradise, a few kilometres from Nuoro, a town in the Barbagia area offers glimpses of an ancient and timeless Sardinia, surrounded by unspoilt nature
A cradle of archaic traditions, Orgosolo reveals a deep bond with its roots: it is the land of the Canto a Tenore (Polyphonic folk singing), proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Inhabited since prehistoric times, as can be seen by the domus de Janas, tombs of the giants and the Su Calavriche, Mereu and Gorropu Nuraghi, at the end of the 19th century, the village became known for banditry. Film director Vittorio De Seta, in the film entitledBanditi a Orgosolo (Bandits of Orgosolo - 1961), describes the bitter fight to defend the lands confiscated by the State.
During the twentieth century a cultural ferment developed, Muralism, which is still active and the origin of which was a tool of protest. Little lanes and stone houses are enriched by beautiful paintings, which have made the village internationally famous. Many artists have contributed to the creation of a real outdoor museum: hundreds of murals colour the streets and tell the story of traditions, culture and deep dissent.
Supramonte di Orgosolo features breathtaking landscapes. One of the paths leaving from the village leads to the Su Suercone sinkhole: where the land has created a chasm 200 metres deep and 400 wide. One of the natural monuments is the Gorroppu canyon, a long stretch of which is accessible: with walls 450 metres high, it is one of deepest in Europe. A walk in the forest of Montes is a must, to visit the sospinnettos, ancient shepherds' huts.
The village is famous for Su lionzu, an elegant bandage that frames the faces of the women dressed in traditional costume. Rare silk threads are used for the warp - the silkworm is bred in this area - while saffron is used to colour the weft.
There are two important dates to remember: on the 15 August "Ferragosto" holiday, an unbridled horse race takes place through the centre of Sa Vardia 'e mes'Austu, while mid-October sees Autumn in Barbagia, when the restaurants and accommodation facilities focus on the flavour of sapurpuzza, meat cooked according to an ancient recipe.
54 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Orgosolo
The story of a people told on the walls: in the heart of the Supramonte area, a trekking paradise, a few kilometres from Nuoro, a town in the Barbagia area offers glimpses of an ancient and timeless Sardinia, surrounded by unspoilt nature
A cradle of archaic traditions, Orgosolo reveals a deep bond with its roots: it is the land of the Canto a Tenore (Polyphonic folk singing), proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Inhabited since prehistoric times, as can be seen by the domus de Janas, tombs of the giants and the Su Calavriche, Mereu and Gorropu Nuraghi, at the end of the 19th century, the village became known for banditry. Film director Vittorio De Seta, in the film entitledBanditi a Orgosolo (Bandits of Orgosolo - 1961), describes the bitter fight to defend the lands confiscated by the State.
During the twentieth century a cultural ferment developed, Muralism, which is still active and the origin of which was a tool of protest. Little lanes and stone houses are enriched by beautiful paintings, which have made the village internationally famous. Many artists have contributed to the creation of a real outdoor museum: hundreds of murals colour the streets and tell the story of traditions, culture and deep dissent.
Supramonte di Orgosolo features breathtaking landscapes. One of the paths leaving from the village leads to the Su Suercone sinkhole: where the land has created a chasm 200 metres deep and 400 wide. One of the natural monuments is the Gorroppu canyon, a long stretch of which is accessible: with walls 450 metres high, it is one of deepest in Europe. A walk in the forest of Montes is a must, to visit the sospinnettos, ancient shepherds' huts.
The village is famous for Su lionzu, an elegant bandage that frames the faces of the women dressed in traditional costume. Rare silk threads are used for the warp - the silkworm is bred in this area - while saffron is used to colour the weft.
There are two important dates to remember: on the 15 August "Ferragosto" holiday, an unbridled horse race takes place through the centre of Sa Vardia 'e mes'Austu, while mid-October sees Autumn in Barbagia, when the restaurants and accommodation facilities focus on the flavour of sapurpuzza, meat cooked according to an ancient recipe.
Sennori
Sassari
Sightseeing
San Pantaleo
San Gavino Monreale
Sorgenti Su Gologone
canyon
Gola di Gorropu
Località GorropuTracking
Inizio Trekking Selvaggio Blu
Pedra LongaWine testing
Sorso